This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. - Titus 1:5-9
I’d dare say that any of us in vocational ministry or who have otherwise dedicated our free time to ministry were given a particular outlook on ministry life. I know I was told about the disciples, who radically left their nets to follow Jesus, or about Paul, who travelled the world amid intense persecution and challenged the Jewish and Roman governments. Pastors and preachers filled my young brain with story after story of people who dedicated their lives, and even their deaths, to extraordinary works of God—missionaries, evangelists, monks, and saints. I had high expectations for a life dedicated to ministry.
Church production leaders aren’t rockstars—they’re shepherds, guiding teams and serving their communities with consistency.
And now I work at a suburban megachurch. It is not glamorous or adventurous; rather, it’s mostly scheduling, budgeting, and making sure my teams are supported. It is very much like a regular job, except for lower-than-marketplace pay. I am not casting off snakes that just bit me, going toe to toe with sorcerers who want to buy miracles, or preaching the gospel in front of great crowds or government officials. I live on a corner lot along a nice cul-de-sac in a neat neighborhood. I know of many others in ministry who live much the same way. We’re not Paul, we’re not Thomas, we’re not William Carey or Jim Elliot.
And frankly, that feels disappointing sometimes. But it shouldn’t.
Preachers and pastors love to talk about the rockstars of the New Testament—Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Peter—the epic movers and shakers. They encourage us all to be like those guys. But you know who they forget about? Timothy and Titus.
Epic moments may inspire, but everyday faithfulness sustains the church.”
No, that’s not true… Pastor taught from Timothy just last week! I’m sure he did, but if you stop for a minute, you’ll remember it was probably about how we should not be ashamed if we're young or maybe about how we need to keep our morals and doctrine above reproach, right? You know what it probably wasn’t about? I’d guess it wasn’t about how Timothy stayed put. The same goes for Titus.
A few people are given the “Indiana Jones” types of ministry assignments, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, and their examples of faith and courage are needed, but to what end? Most of us are going to stay put, living godly lives in our cities or villages, just like Timothy and Titus, two young pastors charged with loving and leading in their local context.
So here’s the thing—the Lord needs as many, if not more, Timothys as he does Pauls. Timothy and those like him were the whole reason for Paul’s ministry. Paul wasn’t just preaching the gospel; he was building churches, and he handed those churches off to faithful people like Timothy or Titus, and those letters are a handbook for those of us who are staying put to love and lead our hometowns.
Church production leaders are like Timothy and Titus, charged with equipping the saints for good works and loving the people in their lives, to be the salt of the earth. We are charged to raise good families, to love our wives well, to be what Jesus was for most of His life—a godly person who loved his people well.
And God would call that very good.
